Abigail Cushman, Executive Editor
@abigailccourant
Estella Trygg has been drawing ever since she could hold a pencil. Now a senior, Estella is a regular participant in art showcases and competitions, and in her most recent accomplishment, she won the Norwalk Bus Shelter Art Competition. Estella’s work is currently displayed in a bus shelter outside The Norwalk Art Space, a museum and hub that promotes local artists and offers free art classes for high school students.
Estella was taking classes at the Art Space in Norwalk, CT when teachers began mentioning the bus shelter competition. “I talked to Duvian, the director of the Art Space, and he encouraged me to enter,” Estella said. The competition invited all high school students in the Norwalk area to submit artwork reminiscent of “Daydreams Through the Window,” and all mediums of art were accepted. Three local judges then selected two pieces to be installed as posters in the two bus shelters in front of The Norwalk Art Space.
When designing her piece for the competition, Estella used the program Procreate on her iPad to form a digital illustration. The “Daydreams Through the Window” theme suited Estella’s style of artwork. According to Estella, her final piece for the competition was similar to the type of work she usually creates. “I like to include characters in my pieces, as well as make them colorful and fun,” Estella said. “I also like to use a ton of textures and designs within them. My favorite medium is digital art.”
During the drawing process, Estella thought about concepts that often present themselves in her daydreams as well as ideas that fuel her creatively. “I love mystical worlds, which encapsulate other things that I love, such as fairies, frogs, and mushrooms,” she said.
Estella discovered that she won the Bus Shelter Art Competition in a coincidental turn of events. She was showing her parents around the Art Space as they attened an art gallery where the winners would be announced. “We decided to go downstairs so I could show them the art studio,” Estella said. “While we were downstairs, we saw my piece was on the wall and had a label next to it that said ‘Contest Winner’ on it.” The winners were then formally announced at the gallery’s opening ceremony.
Because Estella had been nervously waiting to find out if she won, she was relieved to know that she won before they announced it. “I was extremely excited and surprised,” Estella said. Now, she is debating how she will use her prize gift card to art store, Artorama. “I’d love to buy oil paints, but they’re quite expensive, and $75 wouldn’t get me very far. I need to stop by again and check everything out—the store has so many choices.”
Estella plans on continuing to enter art competitions in the future. “Even if I don’t win, it’s always fun to create pieces that have to fit a specific theme and get my art out there,” she said. While online competitions such as those hosted on Instagram and Youtube rarely provide any prizes other than a shoutout, she finds it all exciting to be a part of.
In other efforts to get creative and improve her skills, Estella takes art classes in and outside of school. She is currently taking Portfolio Development at One River Westport, which Estella began attending after receiving the Bernice Dobkin Hall Scholarship, and she has also taken classes at the Silvermine Art Guild. “These classes have impacted my artwork as I’ve been able to try new mediums and build my skills in observational art,” Estella said.
At One River Westport, Estella’s teacher Heidi Harrington has had a profound impact on her early art career. Ms. Harrington is a master oil painter, and she guided Estella in using the medium for the first time. “She’s extremely kind and helpful, as well as personable and encouraging,” Estella said. “She gives great feedback and has an amazing teaching style, and I’m glad to be taking classes with her right now.”
Estella’s previous art teacher Robert Sorensen from Darien High School has also impacted her art journey. “He was an old man who was very helpful and motivational. He found something good in everyone’s art, and was the sweetest person I’ve ever met,” Estella said. “He’d let me and my friends eat lunch in his classroom and would give us candy from time to time.” Mr. Sorenson inspired Estella to keep working hard and showed her that everything she makes has something good in it.
In New Canaan, Estella is currently taking AP 2D Design. Last year she took Advanced Studio Art, and at Darien High School Estella took Art Foundations, and Drawing and Painting I and II. As for the future, Estella fully intends to continue creating those whimsical, textured art pieces. “I’m planning to major in art in college, and most likely use it within my career,” she said.
